Zayn Malik album review: How Room Under The Stairs tracklist differs from Pillowtalk

Zayn Malik's latest album distinguishes itself from his previous discography by venturing into the newer sonic territory of "Country Music," a genre we have yet to see the singer explore.

With this album, Zayn delivered a masterstroke with a brilliant production credited to the nine-time Grammy-winning producer Dave Cobb, well known for his work with singers like Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson, and Jason Isbell. Malik recruiting Cobb for Room Under the Stairs already gave fans a hint of the newer direction he was about to take with his music.

The album follows his move to Pennsylvania, with the singer hoping to get away from the spotlight to work on himself, resulting in Zayn Malik delivering a record filled with deep emotional tones that reflect his mature, self-reflective state of mind.

The lyricism and thought process the singer brings forward on this project vastly distinguishes itself from some of his biggest songs, like Pillowtalk, which primarily revolved around love and relationships, with tracks from Room Under the Stairs inviting listeners into a more painful and obscure worldview.

Zayn Malik's Room Under The Stairs is the fourth studio album of this career and was distributed to all DSPs (Digital Streaming Platforms) via Drop Zed Music LLC, under an exclusive license to Mercury Records, Republic Records, and UMG Recordings, Inc.

Comparing Zayn Malik's latest album Room Under The Stairs to his 2016 debut Mind Of Mine

Zayn Malik's solo debut came with the release of his 2016 s**ually provocative single Pillowtalk, which peaked at No. 1 on the UK music charts and Billboard Hot 100.

The official album cover for Zayn Malik's debut studio album 'Mind Of Mine' (Image via X/@zaynmalik)

This single led everyone to his debut album, Mind of Mine, creating the iconic R&B sound we've learned to appreciate over the years. Although his talent as a singer-performer was very clearly placed at the forefront of this project, thematically, this album failed to deliver heartfelt, more honest lyricism from Zayn.

It's possible his social anxiety, which he has spoken about multiple times over the years, had an effect on the kinds of music the singer was willing to compose, resulting in him creating amazing but sheathed records.

There were notable tracks, besides Pillowtalk, on his debut album, which included the third promotional single BeFoUr, which details moments from his life before he left One Direction to pursue his own music in lines like:

"I've done this before, not like this, not like this / Time for me to move up, so many hours have gone / Heart beats the pump of my blood / No strings for you to pull on."

A lot of the project revolves around a "boy" becoming a man, with songs expressing him finally being free to grow up and to become the person he's always dreamed of being, well identified on songs like tRuTh, where he sings:

"This ain't my scene, this weren't my dream / It was all yours, of course / I got caught up in this game / And you know I won't say names of who's to blame."

Zayn Malik's pivoting hard into honest revelations on his latest album, Room Under the Stars, is not only an impressive and notable moment for his career but a brave step forward in his personality.

Since his debut project, Zayn has fathered a child with supermodel Gigi Hadid, severely reclused himself from the public eye, and, as per an interview with Rolling Loud, he stated that ever since he moved to Pennsylvania, he's been indulging in a lot of country music from artists like Chris Stapleton and Willie Nelson.

Chris Stapleton, winner of the Album of the Year award for “Higher," the Male Artist of the Year award, and Artist-Songwriter of the Year award, poses in the press room during the 59th Academy of Country Music Awards on May 16, 2024 in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images)

During the interview, Zayn broke down the creative process behind the song Alienated, explaining how he believed the song resonated with a mix of country and blues to express his distant feelings with self-induced destructive behavior, referring to the song as "f--king honest."

He went on to explain how the idea for the song came to him several years before he indulged in an album like Room Under the Stairs, during a time when he lived in Pennsylvania and believed it was time he sonically evolved from the music that brought him his solo success.

“I just got in the studio and kind of felt it. I was just feeling alienated at the time in certain situations... And I explain in the song exactly why I’m feeling that way, how I have dealt with those situations, and how it’s felt in that place" - Zayn Malik states in an interview with Rolling Loud

Breaking down the top 5 tracks on Zayn Malik's new album Room Under the Stairs

Zayn's Room Under the Stairs is a 15-track album whose runtime lasts a little over 49 minutes, with Malik diving into themes of:

Pain
Loss
Solitude
Relationships
Love
Desire
Substance Abuse
Excess
Vulnerability

Here is a detailed breakdown of the top 5 tracks from this project.

Disclaimer: This review is rated explicit. Reader's discretion is advised.

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